Hello there, I guess it’s obvious but curious about downshifting and it’s wear and tear on clutch, gears, etc. Lots of people come to a stop light putting the car in neutral and using breaks, but I like downshifting in addition to breaks when necessary. This is normal street driving (not on a race course). Naturally I don’t come too fast into a stop light and need to downshift, but to me that’s part of why I have a stick! Thoughts?

 

Do it all the time and usually heal toe just for track practice.

 

To each their own. Our cars have very good brakes. I don't downshift when slowing for a stop light, but that is my choice. While sitting at a stop light it is recommended to put the car in neutral and release the clutch pedal.

 

Brakes .....heel and toe.........don't you just love Spellcheck that gets the words wrong all the time. Definitely always downshift, and do practice heel and toe as it will help you be proficient at the track. Coasting and using the brakes is an absolutely horrible habit to get into and it could get you into trouble if in a severe situation you try doing that instead of just what comes natural.

 

Well, when something breaks, it needs to heal...

 

Usually...I downshift for highway exits but not for red lights. Sometimes, on exits, I will skip down a couple gears, say go from 4 to 2. If it's smooth, which it usually is, I don't worry about it, if it's a bit of jerky, I think "Hmm...I might not get a 100K from this clutch."

I've owned manuals primarily for over 30 years. Never seemed to experience excessive wear for brakes or clutches. The only issue i ever had was getting my wife to break her habit of short shifting, She is primarily a manual driver but grew up with conserving fuel in mind. I finally got her to drive at higher RPMs in the torque band. We both are big fans of Italian tuneups, even on German cars, LOL.

 

What's a break? Huh...

 

Brakes are cheaper than transmissions.

 

Thats wear u stap an hav a ress.

 

I am lazy and generally coast down until I need to clutch into neutral. I've gotten used to the heavier clutch in my car but it's still a bit of effort after a while.

 

Lets be kind says I, i find spellcheck randomly will change the spelling of my words from than to then and other little gems, i'm convinced to make me look like a nincompoop.. and if i miss type this is a good cover story..

 

If you match revs as you downshift the added clutch wear is negligible. If you let the revs fall during downshifting and let the clutch "pull" the engine rpm higher as you engage it in the lower gear, you will cause more clutch wear. If you understand and visualize the relative speeds of the flywheel and clutch disc during the shifting process, you will understand why this is. Rev matching doesn't necessarily require you to be heel-toeing, although that is a good skill and worth practicing. Personally, I heel-town downshift almost always because it's fun, good practice and may give you a slightly improved reaction time if you need to accelerate suddenly to prevent an accident. Although when I had a manual car as my DD in heavy traffic, I was definitely lazier about it.

 

If my car is moving, it is in the appropriate gear for the current speed.

 

This is what my father taught me as well. It answers many, many questions.

To the OP, do whatever you want, either way. I just recommend rev matching to maintain a long clutch life.

 

All great info thank you!